Q 



90 UNUS ET IDEM. 



much as riding among the fens of Lincohishirc and 

 over the hght part of Surrey or Hertfordshire : a safe 

 horse in one country would break his neck in another. 

 If I wanted to break a mavbS neck, I think I should 

 have a fair chance of doing it by putting him on Peter 

 Simple among the blind ditches in part of the late 

 Lord Petre's country, and ride one of the careful, 

 short, popping, jumpers of that country at a twelve 

 foot brook with a rail on the other side, if lie gets safe 

 over I am much mistaken. 



There is one peculiar feature in the Irish hunting 

 countries that is quite distinct from ours ; their fencing- 

 is pretty much all the same thing where they have 

 walls, though these of course vary in height. So 

 soon as a horse has learned to jump one wall well his 

 business is done ; so in their other countries, when he 

 has learned to take a bank with a double or single 

 ditch, his work is done also, for they are all pretty 

 much alike. Here the Irish horse has an advantage 

 as to the cleverness required of him ; but then so I'ar 

 as exertion is concerned, he is called on severely, for 

 tliere is no picking out an easy place for him; the 

 fence is nearly the same as to height and width from 

 one side of the enclosure to the other, no gaps to 

 make for, no gates that can be opened, no low stiles 

 to jump, no, every fence he comes to is a largish one, 

 and no low or weak parts in it: the only way the Irish 

 horse saves himself is, he never does that at once that 

 can be done at twice, and he " dogs " every thing 

 that will afford him room to put a foot upon ; if there 

 is not foot hold for four feet, he uses two, and if even 

 there is not room for two, he will clap one on, and 

 this he will do only give him the space of a dinner 

 plate ; even five feet is a highish bank for a horse to 



